


Care

by AMidnightDreary



Series: Whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Gen, M/M, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Protective Loki (Marvel), Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 23:49:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20882699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: The foolish mortal Loki loved more than anything would not die on him now. Loki wouldn't allow it.





	Care

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this doesn't make a lot of sense, but. Anyway. 
> 
> **Day 2 & 3:** Delirium & Secret Injury (Yes, I combined two prompts to catch up, shh.)

Loki hadn't slept in almost two weeks. When he returned to the tower, he was so tired that the only thing he wanted was to fall into bed. Maybe take a bath first; wandering through the forests of Alfheimr had made him quite dirty. And bloody. Yes, a bath would be nice, and something to eat - gods, he was so hungry - and then, finally, sleep.

Loki didn't have time to do any of that right now.

He teleported right into the penthouse. Stumbled into it a little, really, teleporting over long distance wasn't the best idea when he was this exhausted. He arrived in one piece, though, and so did the bag he had brought.

There were a handful of people waiting for him. Thor, Banner, the dear Captain. Also Stark's red-haired woman and the man who operated War Machine. They all looked at Loki now, with various levels of surprise and shock visible on their faces.

Loki held out the bag. "I have it."

Thor had long stood up and come over to Loki, looking at him with concern. The others quickly followed, all staring either at Loki's dirty and maltreated appearance or at the bag in his hand. Loki looked at them all, at their tired and hopeless faces, and felt a black hole opening up in his stomach, threatening to swallow him down.

"Am I too late?" He asked through clenched teeth, trying to keep his face blank.

"No, brother," Thor hurried to assure him. "We just - we weren't sure you would make it."

"Well, I did," Loki snarled and held up the bag, "and I  _ have _ what you wanted, so maybe you would like to -"

"We don't know how to use it, Loki," Banner interrupted him, quiet and nervous. "Hell, I - I don't even know what it  _ is. _ "

Loki stared at him for a moment, then let out a frustrated sigh. "You cannot do  _ anything _ on your own, can you?" He snapped, already turning to leave. "I need hot water and a cup."

"What, do you want to make tea now?" Rogers called after him.

"Yes, I do, so please hurry up a little!"

Loki could hear Thor say, "Do as he says," and then there were steps following after him. Looking over his shoulder, Loki found that it wasn't Thor, but the Colonel. He quickly walked past Loki and led the way to the main bedroom of the penthouse. As if Loki would ever forget the way, now that he'd been there once before.

"Can you help him?" Rhodes asked as he opened the door, with a look in his eyes that betrayed the calmness of his voice.

"If it's not too late, yes," Loki replied and slipped into the bedroom.

The stench of sickness greeted him, and for a second Loki just stood there and forced himself to  _ stay _ . He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to see Stark like this. But here he was, and there Stark was, looking like he was already half dead. 

When Loki had left for Alfheimr, Stark had still been awake. Weak, yes, but still  _ there _ enough to muster a crooked grin and a bad joke, glassy eyes glinting with determination. Comforting others rather than seeking comfort himself. Smiling at Loki, even - sincerely, for the very first time -, and  _ thanking _ him, even though Loki hadn't yet done anything worth thanking him for at the point.

Loki's heart had hurt seeing him like that, and seeing him like  _ this _ now nearly ripped it apart.

Loki swallowed and stepped closer to the bed. Stark's chest was heaving with rattling breaths. The bedsheets were drenched with sweat, Stark's hair clinging to the sickly white skin of his forehead. He was thin. It was altogether one of the most frightening things Loki had ever seen, solely because he  _ did not want Stark to die. _ He couldn't even stand the thought.

Loki put his bag on the nightstand and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed. Stark winced and muttered something unintelligible, but his eyes stayed closed. Loki could feel the magic in the room, draining Stark of his last bits of strength, of  _ life. _

Not for the first time, Loki swore that he would track down the Enchantress and kill her for this. If he had been present at the last fight between her and the Avengers, this would never have happened. He was still one of the Avengers' enemies, yes, but he had always kept an eye on Stark during battles, for  _ years _ now. It was pathetic, hopeless, and nobody could ever know, but - despite himself, Loki had fallen in love. And when Thor had asked for his help, asked him to save Stark from the magical sickness that had befallen him, Loki couldn't do anything but agree. It didn't matter that they all thought he would demand something in return, it didn't matter that Stark would never love him back, Loki just needed him to stay  _ alive. _

Loki absentmindedly pressed his hand to his side as he waited for them to bring him what he needed. The wound still stung, and when he looked at his fingers, he found that it was also still bleeding. Norns, he would never set a foot into those wretched woods again. They got deeper and darker with every step you took, and the creatures living in there were far, far worse than bilgesnipes. But it had been the only place Loki knew where he would definitely find the plant, and finding the plant had been his last hope to save Stark. It neutralized every spell, every curse, and it was rarely ever sold because it was nearly impossible to find. Most people who ventured into the woods for it never came back. 

Well. Loki had come back, and he would force the tea down Stark's throat if he had to. The foolish mortal he loved more than anything would  _ not _ die on him now. Loki wouldn't allow it.

It didn't take long until Rhodes came back, with a pot of hot water and a mug. Loki quickly got to work, watching Stark as he prepared the tea for him. Stark's eyes fluttered open now and then. They were dull and unseeing, and it scared Loki more than he wanted to admit. Stark's eyes had always been so bright, so brilliant - seeing them like this was torture. He talked, too, with a voice that was so weak and rough that Loki could barely hear it. He tried to ignore it, tried not to listen; he knew that Stark wouldn't want Loki to hear about his fever dreams.

When the tea was ready, Loki scooted forward on the bed and, forcing himself not to hesitate, slid his hand under Stark's head. He lifted it and Stark's eyes flew open, wide and glassy, focusing on Loki only after a few seconds of panicked staring.

"Please - please, no, I can't -"

"Shh," Loki interrupted, as gently as he could. "It will be over soon, I promise."

"It hurts -"

"I  _ know _ ," Loki said, brushing Stark's sweaty hair out of his face before he reached for the mug. "I know, love. Here, this will help. Drink."

He held the mug against Stark's lips, and thankfully he drank the tea. He coughed a bit, but Loki expected that - he knew that the tea would burn - and made sure Stark's mouth stayed closed, that he swallowed every drop.

When Loki tried to move away, he realized that Stark had grabbed his wrist. The human's eyes were already closed and his breathing had calmed a little, too. Loki gently loosened Stark's weak grip and made sure that Stark laid down properly again. He used a bit of magic to dry the sheets, then one of the towels that somebody had put on the nightstand to wipe Stark's face. He had already stopped sweating, and after touching the back of his hand to Stark's forehead, Loki was certain that the fever was subsiding, too.

He put the towel aside. His hands were shaking. Loki stayed sitting there, stared at Stark with his hands still hovering over the mortal's body. Relief made Loki dizzy. After a moment, he forced himself to stand up and turned to leave. He found that Rhodes was still standing in the doorway, gaping at him as if he had never seen Loki before.

"What?" Loki snapped, taking his bag from the nightstand. His vision was hazy at the edges, but he tried to blink it away.

"I just," Rhodes started, but didn't finish. His eyes flickered from Loki to Stark and back. "Will he be alright?"

"Yes. Let him sleep it off, he will wake up in a few..." Loki had to close his eyes. A few steps into the direction of the door and the room started spinning.

"I didn't know you two were -"

"We are not  _ anything _ ," Loki said sharply. "If you do so much as  _ breathe _ a word about this to -"

He blacked out.

* * *

A very insistent headache woke Loki up. He scrunched up his nose and reluctantly opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh light in the room. As soon as he realized that he had no idea where he was, he lifted his head and -

"Oh, good. I was already scared you'd die on me here, Bambi."

Loki's head snapped around to the right side of the bed he was lying in. Stark was sitting there on a chair, his feet propped up on the edge of the bed. He looked exhausted, but he was smiling crookedly and his eyes were bright again, so he was altogether the most wonderful thing Loki had ever seen.

"I don't even want to know what attacked you there," Stark said, "but it made a real mess of your whole side. You lost a lot of blood. Even Thor said it's a wonder you survived."

Loki rolled his eyes and lifted the blanket somebody had put over him. His upper body was bandaged, but Loki assumed that the wound had finally started to heal.

"Why did you do that, Loki?"

Loki looked up and met Stark's eyes. The human was studying him intently, and one look at him was enough for Loki to know that Stark had already figured it out.

Loki didn't reply. He just glared at Stark and flung his feet out of the bed. "Where are we?"

"In the med bay of the tower," Stark replied. "You can stay if you -"

"I do not wish to stay."

"Loki -"

"I will demand a favor in return, naturally. Word will reach you -"

"Let me at least say thank you, okay?"

"I do not want your thanks, Tony Stark."

Loki had already stood up and was halfway out of the room when Stark jumped after him and grabbed his arm.

"Loki, you - you _saved_ _my life_ here, okay? Five hours ago I was almost dead, now I'm - I'm here now, and I want to -"

"I do not want anything from you," Loki said, taking a step back to free himself from Stark's grip.

Stark huffed a laugh. "I think we both know that's a lie."

Loki clenched his teeth and looked away. He would have teleported away, but his magic was still weak.

"Loki," Stark said again, softer this time. "Look, I… I can't even pretend to understand, okay? But I'm not stupid, and I know you wouldn't have done this if you didn't - you know. Care?"

Loki didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything he could say - lying hardly made sense at this point, and the truth… No, that would be even worse.

"The dear Colonel spoke to you, didn't he?" He said in the end, forcing himself to hold Stark's gaze.

Stark just shrugged. Loki huffed and looked away, wondering who he wanted to kill first at the moment. The Enchantress for cursing Stark, Thor for asking for Loki's help, Rhodes for not staying silent… ah, the list went on. 

"Let's say I owe you a drink."

Loki blinked and looked at Stark again. The crooked smile had returned, a little more hesitant now.

"What did you say?" Loki asked, certain that he had misunderstood.

"That favor you spoke about," Stark said. "I'd like it to be a drink. Up in my penthouse. We could, you know. Hang out."

Loki stared at him, and after a while repeated, "Hang out."

"Yeah!" Stark's smile widened into a grin. "I've been wanting to invite you for a while now, anyway."

He wasn't lying.

Loki realized that just seconds after Stark said it. The human's eyes were honest, his smile sincere, he had been  _ wanting to invite Loki for a while now. _

"Do you invite all your enemies like this?" Loki asked faintly. He might be getting a little dizzy again, though that didn't have a lot to do with any injuries.

"Nope. Only you, Lokes." Stark winked and headed towards the door. "Besides, you kind of stopped being a real enemy the second you saved my sorry ass, I think."

"Oh," Loki said.

"Mhh. Are you coming now or what?"

Later, Loki would inform Stark that it wasn't his right to choose the favor he owed. Later, Loki would insist that he was definitely still an enemy of the Avengers. And, a few  _ weeks _ later, he would also deny that the vanishing of the Enchantress had anything to do with him.

For now, though, Loki went and shared a very pleasant evening with Tony Stark.


End file.
